I think you need to have a long think about weapons and laws.
The law is fairly straightforward; you need to have a permit to carry and use them. Security forces such as the army, police and private guards can get a permit fairly easily; everyone else needs to acquire one through various means. Working at the Guild can get you a work permit to carry and wield firearms, within the limits of an assignment.
pad300 wrote:
And another long think about the interactions of Magic and Technology/Science - does Mending (the cantrip) work on electronics? There's a very viable business in refurbishing broken cellphones and re-selling them (not to mention data restoration and so forth...). At higher levels, it get's worse - can you use Fabricate to synthesize specific chemicals/drugs at the atomic/molecular level; eg. carbon (soot) > diamond?.
You might, if not for the fact that the arcane and occult spellcasters are pretty much in hiding for fear of being abducted off the streets and ... who knows what being done to them.
Here's Misana with a profile. I found and fixed some errors and made a few tweaks. Again, if anything looks off do let me know!
Misana looks pretty solid to me. ^_^
Just one thing; you've been mining traits from books not on the list. I am not wholly opposed to these, but I'd like to ask you keep an eye on the thread; I'll be providing more traits as we go along, just as I did in the post on factions. Maybe one or two of them will tickle your fancy.
Silly Q of the day. "You need to find work. You need to save up money. You need to pay the bills." - Are you using the business/downtime rules from Ultimate Campaign? I'm guessing not, because it's not on your list of sources. So how are you dealing with entrepreneurship?
Hmmm... I'm going to have to give that some thought. It shouldn't be an immediate concern, though.
pad300 wrote:
Also, just how much technology is running around - I notice the words "broadcast" and "computer" in your intro. Is the full technology guide available to the public?
The technology generally available is roughly on par with our own Earth's 21st century. However, the faction known as the Lost has access to the full technology guide's tech -- in theory. They can only create what they can afford to make, and just a laboratory is already pretty expensive.
So, here's an odd question: what are the family names of the most powerful noble familes in the Monarchy?
Let's see here...
The three top families:
Bleu-Montagne - Currently the royal family, the Bleu-Montagne is the most prominent and wealthy noble families in Old Town. The King is a Bleu-Montagne, Alphonse Bleu-Montagne, and he is determined that the crown shall never again pass to one of the other two families that have held it in the past.
The Bleu-Montagnes are best known for keeping the pageantry and ceremonies of the past alive, keeping the society of Old Town preserved... rather like an insect trapped in amber. The family boasts being blessed above all others by the three goddesses of origin, and many of their legendary members were Clerics or Inquisitors. In the past, they boasted considerable military power thanks to the magic granted them by the goddesses, and even today the Bleu-Montagnes have the largest private guard of all the noble houses - a strog contributing factor in their having managed to keep the crown all these years.
Bourdonnant-Froid - Acknowledged as the oldest of all the noble houses, Bourdonnant-Froid is also acknowledged as the crustiest and most withdrawn. More concerned with preserving and reliving the past than dealing with the present, the Bourdonnant-Froid lost power to the manipulations of the Bleu-Montagnes and proved unable to reclaim it even from the Vert-Manches, who are traditionally more concerned with art than intrigue. Although they are still among the most wealthy of the noble families, the Bourdonnant-Froid are drawing purely on the amassed wealth of the past and the interest it yields, rather than even trying to make money in modern society. They are best known for having the most complete and extensive records of the past, and are often sought out by historians for access (strictly regulated, of course) to their archives and libraries. For all their flaws, the Bourdonnant-Froid are also known for having highly impartial records, preserving the past as it was, without flattering anyone.
Vert-Manche - Best known for their artistic tendencies, the Vert-Manche family members have been variously respected for delighting the royal court, and mocked for disgracing themselves by abandoning their noble duties to become traveling performers, chasing the burning dream of Art far and wide, and holding their performances before commoners for payment. When they still held the throne, the Vert-Manches founded the Crown University, and even today they still send their children to be educated there, rather than schooling them at home.
Even today, the Vert-Manche are well-connected to the contemporary art world. At least one of their prominent daughters has become an idol singer in recent history, and they own art galleries, a record label, and at least one movie studio in Simtore.
The more prominent lesser families are:
Étoile-Clamant - The most militaristic of the noble houses, the Étoile-Clamant have traditionally trained their scions in the arts of war and treachery. Whenever a noble house needed capable lieutenants to conduct battle, discipline uppity commoners, or do any other kind of violent work, the Étoile-Clamant would offer their services... and then try to worm their way close to the center of power of any campaign they were a part of, hoping to promote themselves by murdering whoever was set above them.
Frequently seen as deranged and chronic backstabbers, the Étoile-Clamant hold the second-largest private guard in Old Town, and educate most of their children at home in order to prevent modern society from infecting them with morals and ethics that might stop them from doing whatever it takes to finally seize the throne. When members of the family do enter modern society, they frequently find work in either the army or else in the criminal underworld, where they tend to do very well for themselves.
Grenouille-Noir - Feared among their fellow nobles, the Grenouille-Noir have been lingering on the very edge of royalty for generations, without making any serious efforts to take the final step. All noble families have some education in the crafting and application of poison in order to facilitate their intrigue, but the Grenouille-Noir have made poison both an art form and their specialty.
Generations ago, the family heads decided it was far better to be equal parts feared and admired by all the other families than to assume actual authority over them. Today, the Grenouille-Noir provide advisors and poison to any and every other noble willing to pay them, and they are among the most wealthy.
In modern society, the Grenouille-Noir have business interests in the alchemical and medical industries, with their generations' worth of knowledge of both poisons and antidotes having actually saved many lives.
Hyène-Noble - An odd duck among the noble houses, Hyène-Noble is very much dedicated to the spirit of noblesse oblige. In the feodal days, they were actually beloved for taking seriously their noble duty to administer their lands and protect their subjects, rather than just demanding slavish obedience and punishing failure. When the great uprising overthrow the old aristocracy, it is whispered that Hyène-Noble fought not on the side of the aristocracy, but betrayed the king to fight by the side of the people.
Like Étoile-Clamant, Hyène-Noble is very much a military house, with many of its scions having entered the army and bringing back modern military practises to enhance the family's training. The family is also well-known for having sponsored and participated in the great explorations of the past, and the Hyène-Noble museum and gardens are one of the great world wonders even today.
Meehaku-na-Oni - The youngest of the noble houses, Meehaku-na-Oni is basically a Ninja clan that managed to earn nobility through service to the king - any king. Grenouille-Noir may be feared for its poison and intrigue, Étoile-Clamant may be infamous for its military strength and treachery, but Meehaku-na-Oni is held in complete dread because it is, at the end of the day, the assassins' guild of Old Town - and its position is so strong among the noble families that it does not even need to hide its nature.
Too many nobles have used the services of this house, it has gathered too many obligations, favours and secrets for even the king to be able to eject Meehaku-na-Oni from the position the family has carved out for itself.
Meehaku-na-Oni has a strong involvement in modern society. It maintains connections with the other Ninja clans, playing its part in the Shadow War, the ever-shifting tapestry of alliances and betrayals that keep the clans both united and divided. It also invests in a wide range of businesses, focusing not on any one area of business, research or entertainment, but keeping a wide base of income in order to protect its income.
Oeil-Rouge - Best known as a family of scholars and advisors, the Oeil-Rouge's fortunes have fallen most of all the noble houses due to a long-standing conflict with house Bleu-Montagne, and their once strong connection to the Bourdonnant-Froid, whose own fortunes have been steadily sliding downward.
Today, the Oeil-Rouge are second only to the Meehaku-na-Oni when it comes to having strong connections with modern society. The family's business interests lie mostly in research and development, rather than being spread widely, and the family is known for having co-founded the Crown University in collaboration with the Vert-Manches, as well as involvement in founding of St. Finnegan's University.
Unknown to all but the family itself, it is also one of the bloodlines that hold magic alive in the modern age, with many of its most famous ancestors having been arcane or occult spellcasters. Even today, many of the family's scions are sent to the Occulted Academy to learn and hone their magical potential.
A secret kept even from the Occulted Academy, is that Oeil-Rouge was founded long ago by a previous generation of the Lost; time-travelers whose equipment broke down for unknown reasons or due to assault from powerful forces. House Oeil-Rouge is aware of the current factions of the Lost, but has made great efforts not to expose itself to them, just as they hide their other secrets from the rest of the world.
Those members of House Oeil-Rouge not involved with magic, science or noble intrigue frequently take an interest in the monastic life, and there are several monasteries surrounding Simtore that were either founded by the family or else had famous Monks who were born from it.
Ninja Clans: Are they race specific? Is it family only or can one join? Could a PC begin as a member or is it more aspirational?
Sorry to keep peppering you with questions. You're the only source!
Ha, no worries.
Traditionally, the Ninja clans were Gelnet-only, but they started becoming more inclusive well before the fall of the old aristocracy.
The oldest and crustiest clans still only accept Gelnet apprentices and are in fact composed of whole family lines of them, but many of the younger clans accept any creature capable of the discipline and giving proper performance.
A PC can definitely begin as a member of a Ninja clan.
AI names are traditionally very impersonal: a letter indicating the 'tribe' or 'product series'; a number to specify a 'family' within the tribe, four numbers for the production year (we are currently in the early 2200-2300 period) and a final letter for the individual.
For example, one AI might be named F92201B, and their first offspring would be named F92225A, their second F92230B, and so on and so forth.
Of course, AI are free to adopt nicknames that are either more like the names of the other species, and many in fact do so in order to better fit in.
I have a few further Questions concerning the AI.
Do they understand the concept of emotions and do they experience them aswell?
AI definitely do understand emotion. Their perspective on matters is different from that of the other species, however, given their species-wide existential dread that they might actually be objects given a limited lifespan as a goddess's cruel joke.
KingFlameALit wrote:
How are the AI Born?
The physical body of an AI is assembled in a body shop, which doubles as a workshop and a shrine to the AI. The vital spark is created by two or more AI performing a procedure called 'spark-sharing', which involves them linking up their bodies with each other and the newly-created husk for a limited time, blending their awareness into a seamless whole. Once the procedure is completed, a new spark of awareness has been birthed from the collective energy of the parental units, and animates the new body.
(Unknown to the AI themselves, what they think is a strictly scientific procedure is also a ritual that calls upon the gods to grant a soul to inhabit a new life. If the AI ever realized that the sensation of bliss they feel while 'spark-sharing' is caused because one or several of the gods are responding and blessing their union, they would probably be able to cast off generations of low-key existential despair. But so far, they have not.)
KingFlameALit wrote:
Could they transfer themselves into other bodies?
It is not impossible, but would require either a magical or scientific procedure that mimics an advanced version of Magic jar. It would be prohibitively expensive in most cases, not to mention there's a high chance of either failure or corruption of the individual being transferred.
KingFlameALit wrote:
Are they strictly machines or more like Androids with biological parts?
A typical AI's body is mechanical, incorporating metal and plastics. Incorporating biological components is not impossible, but would require the reverse of implanting mechanisms in organic flesh.
AI actually transcend being strictly machines because they have souls of their own and the ability to reproduce, even though they remain unaware of this - and on the occasions that it has been suggested to them, they were grateful for the thought but remained unconvinced.
Baecken do not have a naming tradition of their own; they do not even have a word for 'I', although they do have one for 'we', as it should always be obvious who is talking. Baecken have received names from other species; pets get them from owners, free Baecken from acquaintances and friends to facilitate communication. Once named, a Baecken who is pleased with the name tends to be territorial about it, disallowing changes. Displeased Baecken will ignore a name if they can.
Gelnet names follow the pattern: family name first, given name last. The names of the noble families resemble French, whereas the middle and lower class names more resemble Japanese.
Mites start out life with a 'child-name', which is given to them by their parents and tends to be short and cutesy. A Mite develops an adult's name through accumulating life experience and meditation, and must present the name they have distilled in this manner before a circle of elders. These names frequently reference some experience that has made a profound impression, such as a sunrise over the towers of Simtore, or watching the great storm that tore down three oaks in the Great Forest.
The names Ru use in public are often hilariously overblown. Names like 'Sinistra Darkheart' or 'Storm Gloomwarden' are common. Many people suspect these names are actually a big joke on the Ru's part, as they alter and discard these names with the same ease anyone else changes clothes, and this is true; Ru public names are unimportant to them. The names they use in private, among family and their most trusted friends, are deadly serious. Following a naming scheme similar to the Gelnet, Ru names place the given name of a family founder first, then the family name, then their own given name. In the strictest sense, the name of the individual Ru's divine patron should precede that of the family founder, but this is now considered oldfashioned. Ru parents spend a lot of time on choosing their child's given name, and Ru names as a whole tend to be surprisingly melodious for words spoken in the Morval tongue.
Zlapav names are considered to be comical by most other races. They start with a birth number, followed by a word that references the profession of the mother at the time of birth, followed by the family name. While a Gelnet might get a hearty chuckle out of being introduced to Three Sugar Lumpkin, Zlapav have a different perspective; in this name they see that a couple married under the banner of the Lumpkin clan has managed to have three children, and that the sugar industry provided the money the mother needed to see her through her pregnancy. Zlapav names are, at the end of the day, all about showing respect to those who have allowed you to be born and survive.
AI names are traditionally very impersonal: a letter indicating the 'tribe' or 'product series'; a number to specify a 'family' within the tribe, four numbers for the production year (we are currently in the early 2200-2300 period) and a final letter for the individual.
For example, one AI might be named F92201B, and their first offspring would be named F92225A, their second F92230B, and so on and so forth.
Of course, AI are free to adopt nicknames that are either more like the names of the other species, and many in fact do so in order to better fit in.
1-What is the Baecken's opinion about being pets? Is it like slavery? Or are they beloved pets and like it?
It depends on the Baecken. Ursk are firmly opposed to being pets. The more primal and independent Mog and Mut Baecken scoff at the notion and hold a lot of hatred towards their kinsmen who embrace it. Baecken who do live as pets tend to enjoy or hate it in equal measure to the way their owner treats them. Treatment of Baecken pets also differs widely; some owners treat pet Baecken as animals; others treat them as members of their family in all but name, providing them with an education and an allowance.
Ms. Bloodrive wrote:
2-Can any of the races have childrens with each others like humans with Elves and Orcs in generic fantasy? If not what about interspecies relationships? You mentioned that Ohiro (a Zlapav, so hermaphrodite) had the biggest harem ever seem and was also seduced by Laaken (a female Gelnet) so I'm guessing that most sorts of relationships are allowed but since both Ohiro and Laaken are Gods they may be above most taboos....
Baecken, Gelnet, Ru and Zlapav can freely interbreed with each other. AI are physically incapable of reproducing with other species, although they can mimic the act if they so wish. Mites are biologically capable of fertilizing Baecken, Gelnet, Ru and Zlapav, but only through surgical procedures of implanting Mite sperm in a willing female. The nature of the offspring is determined by the mother; if a male Ru and a female Baecken reproduce, the child will be a Baecken; if a Zlapav in male form reproduces with a female Gelnet, the child will be Gelnet, and so on and so forth.
The more traditionally-minded members of the various races prefer there be no interbreeding and/or intermarriage across species borders, but in current society there is no law against it - and remarkably, there is also no religious objection to it.
There is no societal bias against having multiple spouses, other than this: the one who claims dominance must have a sufficient income to keep all their spouses in a style befitting of them. To be unable to provide for your spouse is considered far more deplorable than marrying outside of your species. There is also no strong bias against homo- or bisexuality; so long as you provide heirs for your family and keep your mates in a fitting style, you will normally receive little in the ways of censure.
Ms. Bloodrive wrote:
3-How does every race look? I mean... Zlapav get a good description on their entry but Ru, Gelnet, Ai and Mites are a little open ended, yeah, Gelnets has gemstones on their brows, Mites are fairy-like and Ais are android-like but what hair/skin colors they posses? How are shaped the Mites' wings? are Ru human looking vampires? beside having fangs I'm clueless about their appearance, sorry if I'm making too many questions here but I can't picture/imagine them, some images would be helpful if possible n.n
AI have very varied figures. Some are stocky; some are tall; some have a rough and metallic 'skin', whereas others are covered in smooth plastic. AI who are unhappy with their appearance can save up their money and go to a bodyshop to have alterations made. Their eyes tend to be clear lenses, colourless on their own, but easily gathering and reflecting surrounding colour. AI colour depends on whether they prefer to paint their chassis or not; a standard frame is typically a dull shade of silver, red or cream.
Baecken tend to darker skin tones; they are a species that traditionally spends a lot of time outdoors, after all. Pampered pets kept indoors may end up pale and smooth over time, but active Baecken with access to fresh air usually find their skin becoming rough and weathered as they age. Baecken hair is always shades of blonde, brown and red, which turns to grey and silver as they grow older. Their build is more muscular and they are built shorter than Gelnet.
Gelnet tend to slender, elegant figures, with slender, long-fingered hands and skins that range from cream to oak. Males and females are both capable of growing long hair, which can be just about any colour under the rainbow, and which they often paint in order to enhance its lustre. Gelnet eyes and forehead gems are typically the same colour, and equally radiant and lustrous; they are shades of brown, gold, green, blue, red or purple.
Mites are often tanned from exposure to the elements, their hair colour ranging from golden blonde to mahogany. Their wings are like those of butterflies - or moths; either a riot of colours or dull shades of brown and grey, either one displaying classic eye-patterns. Small as they are, Mites tend to have nigh-perfect proportions and a kind of radiant beauty envied by Gelnet.
Ru actually strongly resemble the Gelnet in build and features. They are much paler, though, and have little interest in tanning. Their hair is usually shades of pale blond, but much curlier than most Gelnet's. Their eyes are dark, ranging from purple to blue to red. While they have fangs, these are not like a wolf or a vampire's canines, but much less obtrusive; a sharp point is all that is needed to draw blood, after all.
Ms. Bloodrive wrote:
4-How dangerous is the police? Do they have CSI level techniques and can find us if we commit a crime no matter what or they shrug at minor stuffs like a fight without magic?
The police does have units dedicated to crime scene investigation, but it does not have the authority to go everywhere it wants. Powerful people have their own enforcers in Simtore, and can claim authority over their area of influence. While the Advancement party has been trying to change this, there are areas of the city where the police is not even allowed to go, let alone that they would be allowed to investigate crimes there.
Private enforcer groups typically lack the training and equipment provided to the police, but are not bound by the laws that say the police are not allowed to brutalize prisoners to force out confessions. It is easier to avoid getting caught by them, but it is far safer to get caught by police.
Some additional information that may be useful in character creation: various organizations.
Crown university (Gelnet and Zlapav only)
The C.U. is the oldest educational institution in Simtore. Founded by the old aristocracy to educate their children in all the arts necessary to allow them to excel, it has managed to adapt better to the changing times than the people who founded it. Although its charter firmly states that only noble Gelnet children, preferably boys, are allowed to become students, C.U.'s board of directors has managed to use loopholes to admit Gelnet children from other classes, as well as Zlapav children from particularly affluent families.
Not content to rely solely on centuries of tradition, C.U. is also devoted to embracing the future. The ancient college's laboratories are state of the art, and teachers and students spend as much time in groundbreaking research and experimentation as they do in classical education.
Although the new St. Finnegan's University is hailed for its inclusiveness, it is C.U. that has the greatest concrete impact on society, given its inroads into businesses that thrive on new scientific developments.
Social trait: The unbroken line (Gelnet and Zlapav only)
You are a student, or even a graduate of the Crown University. You are trained in your school's fine tradition, but also initiated in the cutting edge of research. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Craft (mechanical) and Knowledge (history), and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Guild (All)
Once, the Guild was known as the Adventurers' Guild, but surely the romantic days of adventure are gone. Nowadays, the Guild is just the Guild - but it still serves a purpose. The Guild is a meeting-place for those people who live hand to mouth and paycheck to paycheck; a place to find information and check the job boards. Mercenaries and day labourers, thieves and back alley saints, all are welcomed to enter the Guildhalls, share a story, find room and board, and most importantly find work.
Nowadays, society finds it odd for people to consider themselves to be lifelong Guildmembers; the Guild is a place people pass through on their way to their next job, after all, and those who find steady employment do not strictly need to return. It is less odd for those who keep coming back. Even if the Guild no longer calls itself an Adventurers' Guild, the spirit of adventure and the rough cameraderie of likeminded spirits is still alive and well.
Social trait: Spirit of Adventure
There are qualities shared by all those who live hand to mouth, adventurers in all but name. Secrets and tricks are taught by the experienced to youngsters, knowledge is shared about employers - and in the current climate, it needs to be done with a certain measure of discretion. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Linguistics, and Linguistics is always a class skill for you. In addition, you can add Guild Sign to your list of bonus languages. Guild sign is, as the name implies, a sign language taught to those who feel most strongly connected to the Guild and see it as their main source of employment and purpose. It has numerous signs that allow Guild-members to recognize one another, wherever they go.
Lost (Gelnet, Mite only)
Time flows from past to future, and its arrow points only in one direction. But what the mind can conceive, the hand can create ... in time. At some far distant point, the secret to reversing time's flow will be realized, and keen investigators will travel back in time to see the glorious past firsthand - or in hopes of preventing one of the great disasters that will rock the whole world.
Many such travelers have become stranded in the current age. There is something, some influence or chasm, that causes the machines that carried them back to 'crash' here - to crash and cease functioning altogether. Secretive, fearful of upsetting the flow of time but also eager to find out what has stranded them here so they might one day return to their proper age, the Lost feign being part of the current age while they amass technology and keep an eye on current developments in hopes that they might find a way home. Many are teachers or students at Simtore's great universities, pursue careers at the most cutting-edge laboratories - or retreat from society altogether in hopes of preventing contamination and puzzling out the best way to return home through pure theory.
While most Lost are not adverse to working together, their cause is rarely one hundred percent stable. After all, the future is unwritten in the present, and many Lost find that they come from very different timelines, indeed... The utopia and dystopia factions recount very different histories, and they are themselves divided in preservers and ameliorators, those who wish to preserve their timelines and those who feel the future needs to be changed. Alliances shift with the winds.
Social trait: Time's orphan (Gelnet, Mite only)
You are one of the Lost, trapped in what is to you the distant past. Whether you hail from a utopia or a dystopia, the present is where you are - and where you do not wish to stay. You know some part of what the future may be even now, but are eager to expand your knowledge of science and reality in hopes that you might return home. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (nature), and one of these is always a class skill for you.
New elite
Nowadays, power in Simtore flows from politics and money - and the difference between is not so great. After the fall of the old aristocracy (see below), the new elite gradually emerged. Composed of oligarchs, politicians and the craftier crime guilds and ninja clans, the new elite moves both in plain sight and the shadows. Back room deals determine prices, votes are bought and sold, and public figures often have very shady dealings no one outside the new elite is privy to.
Social trait: Secret elite (AI, Gelnet, Ru, Zlapav only)
You are part of the new elite. Maybe you're from a family of politicians; maybe you're in charge of one of the mega-corporations peddling in life and death; maybe you're the son or daughter of the legion of enforcers quietly doing jobs. Regardless, you are aware of the secret cabal influencing money and power in the city - and it is aware of you. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Bluff and Knowledge (local), and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Occulted academy (All)
As the influence of science grew and more and more casters who flaunted their abilities in public started to "disappear", the wiser spellcasters decided that discretion was the better part of valour. Rather than try to fight the rising tide, the arcane and occult casters voluntarily faded into the shadows - but this does not mean they ceased to exist.
The Occulted Academy is a secret enclave, hidden by magic and cunning alike. Supported on the quiet by the church of Ohiro, the Academy is easily as old as Simtore itself, but its location remains hidden from all except those who receive an invitation from its current masters. It provides an education to all casters occult and arcane, and even divine to Clerics and Inquisitors of Ohiro. Traditionally, its teachers are seen as strict but fair, demanding discipline and giving valuable lore in return. Students of the Occulted Academy are taught not according to age, but attend classes they choose and can pay for; it is common for a student to alternately spend time on education and out in the wider world, practising what they have learned.
Whole families nurture the secret of magic and keep an eye out for promising youngsters who are not of their bloodline, but who they judge can keep the secret. Of course, they also make sure that those who can not or are unwilling to preserve the secret ... cease to be a problem. On Academy grounds and during Academy business, differences in alignment and species are ignored as all join hands to increase and preserve the scope of arcane and occult knowledge, and to impart it to the next generation.
Magic trait: Unseen eye
You are either a graduate of the Occulted Academy, or a member of one of the families that preserve its secret. You are both blessed to have partaken of the Academy's font of knowledge, and disciplined in the arts of secrecy and deceit. You gain a +1 trait to Bluff and Knowledge (arcana), and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Old aristocracy (Gelnet only)
Once, the Gelnet ruled Simtore and much of the world. In their empire, all the other races were slaves, animals or tools, and their lives had no value beyond what the Gelnet assigned to them. The old aristocracy stood among the Gelnet as the Gelnet stood among their slaves; in a position of unquestioned and unassailable superiority. Or so they believed.
Even though the slaves and the oppressed Gelnet classes finally joined hands and rose up to overthrow their masters and establish the current political climate, some of the old aristocrats managed to survive - mainly by opening their coffers, turning on especially loathsome kinsmen and altogether pretending they had seen the error of their ways.
In Simtore, Old Town is the stronghold of the old aristocracy, where the more crusty aristocrats pretend they have not merely survived the uprising, but that they have retained all the power and glory that their ancestors once held. Old Town is like a living period piece, celebrating the days of yore, but it is also a hotbed for intrigue and infighting, as the noble families jostle for position in the king's court or even try to influence or replace the king, who is himself involved in schemes and plots to keep his nobles under his thumb and tries to win greater influence in the world beond his castle walls.
Social trait: Royal brat (Gelnet only)
You are a child of the old aristocracy, trained from birth in courtly graces - and the dark side of nobility. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Craft (poison) and Knowledge (nobility), and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Saint Finnegan's University (All)
St. Finnegan's University, better known as St.Fu, is the younger of Simtore's two universities. Unlike its longstanding rival, the Crown University, St.Fu encompasses education from high school up to college level, and its charter explicitly states that it welcomes members of all races and backgrounds, just so long as they can keep up with the rigors of the education.
Also unlike the Crown University, St.Fu is focused mainly on education. The budget does not support the kind of laboratories boasted by the Crown University, nor the studies performed at the older institution. In spite of this, attendance at St.Fu is booming, as people who would not dare try to apply to Crown University but still wish to educate their offspring are happy to know St.Fu provides an excellent education with all the guidance the young need to graduate - so long as they put in the effort.
Social trait: Saint Finnegan's girl/boy (All)
The students of St.Fu are easily recognizable by their signature uniform and the ease with which they mingle with the other races. Growing up surrounded by members of the other species, studying side by side with them day in, day out, leaves its mark on the minds of the young. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Diplomacy, and Diplomacy is always a class skill for you.
Tridiviate (All)
The Tridiviate is the most influential religious organization in the city. It manages the largest and oldest temple in the city, maybe the world; the temple dedicated to the three goddesses of origin: Chui, Ulla and Vaal. The Tridiviate is famous for training Clerics and Inquisitors to exacting standards and holding the holiest of ceremonies to honour the goddesses of origin. Its doors are always open to those in desperate need for spiritual guidance, and it collects and preserves religious lore and prophecies that are unavailable anywhere else on Gelm.
Unfortunately, the Tridiviate is also known for rabid opposition to the worship of the two younger deities, Laaken and Ohiro. Denouncing them as upstarts, unworthy of the divine mantle, the Tridiviate was once known for burning temples and sending assassins. Nowadays, the organization tries to amass power and leverage influence to reduce the rival faiths' freedom and power.
Religion trait: Fist of Three (All)
Trained by the oldest religious organization in the world, you are ready to destroy its opponents and all who support them. You gain a +1 to attack and damage rolls on combat maneuvers against any creature or object you are certain is connected to Laaken and/or Ohiro, such as a faithful follower or a relic.
My first thought was a Mut vanilla druid with either a wolf or dog companion (based on what would be acceptable in the city).
But, I've never had opportunity to play a tiny race before... so I'm intrigued by the possibility of playing a Mite.
Couple more questions:
Is bardic magic treated the same as other arcane?
Are other weapons verboten like guns? Meaning something concealable (or at least not obvious) would be better for day-to-day on the street, whereas a greatsword strapped to your back would invite ridicule/suspicion?
Yup, Bards need to hide - or disguise - their magic as well. I recommend and approve of the Spellsong feat. ;)
Any kind of weapon, carried openly, will cause people to eye you askance. Unless you have a license (official ones available at city hall, work-related temporary ones at Guild offices), you're better off hiding them.
Of course a club or quarterstaff could be excused if you pretend it's a cane. (Learn to limp convincingly.) A dagger is easily concealed and could be explained away as a work knife, depending on your job.
Armour will also get you some funny looks, but is not against the law.
Your concept sounds very intriguing and you piqued my interest.
I have a few other questions.
1. Will this adventure be held in Posts or any other form? I have never used the Forum to play a campaign before.
2. Also do you want to talk to players personally before accepting/considering them for your campaign?
3. Do you talk out character concepts before the campaign to get a general feel for the player/PC that you are having in your game?
I personally would consider an AI Mindblade Or Bladebound magus. Kind of hard to decide between the two.
I'm looking forward to your Answer!
1. Yes, this will be a Play-by-Post game on the forums.
2. Nah, I prefer to get to know you all through your gameplay.
3. I don't mind doing so if you like.
... how common is alchemy? Are alchemical items commonplace or are they more along the line of the arcane? I assume that potions, mutagens and extracts would be as rare as arcane magic, but items like smokesticks and defoliant might be less unusual?
Alchemy is actually still fairly common. Alchemy formed the transitional stage from the old times when magic was commonplace to the age of science; alchemy is magic made quantifiable, capable of analysis. While everyday items are in everyday use, the more exceptional alchemy is considered a valuable asset for medical and psychological procedures, and is a hot topic for scientific study into the nature of the universe and the development of new machinery.
Of course, lobbing bombs around willy-nilly is going to land you in jail if not shot in the street.
This is a really interesting premise. If I get time, I hope to make a character (I generally find Pathfinder character creation much more intensive than playing once completed).
A few questions:
1. How difficult is it to practice arcane and occult magic in this setting and remain undetected? On a scale of "just don't lob fireballs outside and you'll be fine" to "the secret anti-magic police will hunt for any hint of arcane magic at all times".
3. What is the demographic breakdown like? Who are the more common or rare species?
1. You should be fine as long as you're not too obvious. I can recommend investing in Bluff, Silent spell and Still spell. Bards have a good friend in the Spellsong feat.
2. That's a big nope to all three. Sorry.
3. Gelnet and Zlapav are the majority races. Mog and Mut Baecken are as common as cats and dogs, but Ursk Baecken are a rarity. Mites and AI are less common than Mog and Mut Baecken, but far more common than Ursk Baecken. Ru are less commonly seen outside the Necropolis than Mites and AI, but are the majority on their home ground, glooming it up among the graves.
Are Arcane and Occult casting illegal, or just out of favor?
There is no real law against them, but there is a tendency for people who are caught at arcane or occult magic to be "invited" by wealthy oligarchs, government officials or eager scientists... and then to never be seen again.
The reason the Occulted Academy and the other enclaves are hidden, is not because casters wanted to hide their secrets, but because they didn't want to be disappeared and then enslaved or possibly dissected.
Most ordinary people would be surprised to see magic outside of temples, though not necessarily dismayed (depending on the nature of the magic).
Firearms are a well-known and available technology. Guns are everywhere.
Keep in mind that Simtore isn't a medieval city, so people who want to carry weapons (including firearms) need to be members of a government-sponsored or private security force, have a citizen's permit ... or be very good at hiding the fact that they are carrying weapons.
If you have a permit, you can buy firearms in stores that specialize in selling weapons. If you don't, you're best advised to make friends in the criminal underworld.
"The bards tell tales of heroics, grand love affairs and adventure on every street corner. The T.V. and movie theaters blast such tales right into your eyes. Books and magazines fill in the cracks with fiction.
And none of it matters in real life.
This is Simtore, the largest, oldest city in the world.
Including the crumbling necropolis on the west bank of the river, the equally decrept Old Town where the aristocracy and nobility gather, the bustling residential, industrial and entertainment districts, the schools and universities, the parks, the zoo and the harbour, Simtore is a testament to thousands of years of tradition and innovation.
Surrounded by the Great Forest on three sides and bordered by the Millennial Ocean to the east, Simtore is a hub for science, industry and trade. Magic mhas fallen out of fashion and the rule of the crown has been forced to make place before the political parties of Advancement, Acquisition and Tradition, but Simtore still holds mystery and treasure galore in its hidden corners.
The Gelnet may claim that it was their ancestors who founded Simtore, but the great city combines building styles from all the races, which have changed and blended over the centuries. Simtore is a glorious patchwork of architectural styles and colours.
And none of it matters in real life.
This is real life.
No matter whether you are an AI, a Baecken, a Gelnet, a Mite, a Ru or even a Zlapav, you need money to pay for the necessities of life! Food, shelter, taxes, entertainment! (Of course, some Baecken, Mites and even AIs prefer to just wander into the Great Forest, but every society has its losers.)
You need to find work. You need to save up money. You need to pay the bills.
These are good times to find work. The elections have just passed, and the Traditional party has won a sweeping victory. Any day now, the Advancement party will hand over the baton, and the festivities will produce a lot of job openings.
In Old Town, the royal jubilee is coming up, when the Gelnet king will demand his subjects to attend a royal celebration in honour of his glorious reign (the aristocracy still refuses to acknowledge they are no longer in absolute control of the city), and that is going to create work as well.
Every day, ships enter and leave the harbour, creating work.
Caravans move into and out of the Great Forest, creating work.
And the City Guild presents all those work opportunities for eager hands and minds to seize. All you need to do is enlist with the Guild, be there on time in the morning, and claim to any job for which you qualify. Then you need to work so you can collect your pay. What could be simpler?
This is real life, and you shouldn't worry about muttered rumours and random speculation.
So there are people who are nervous about the handover of political power from Advancement to Traditional. There are always fights and panic-mongering around election times, but it never gets any worse than that.
So people are grumbling in the bars that the old Gelnet aristocracy should be exterminated instead of venerated. People have been grumbling about the nobles for centuries, and who cares enough about them now to actually do anything to the arrogant relics?
So the papers and newscasts report that there have been random outbreaks of magic in the city. Let the conspiracy theorists babble on about how the Occulted Academy, the mythical school of magic, is making a play to take back the power arcane and occult spellcasters lost to science.
So the Tridiviate Temple has published prophecies which claim all five gods are going to choose new mortal champions. The temples are forever making predictions of this or that, and most of it never comes true.
So the Crown University tried to publish an article that their new computer has warned of 'inexplicable infractions of the laws of space/time'. The eggheads are forever spouting nonsense, and the world keeps turning just fine, right?
There are giant rats and roaches to kill, delivery jobs to run, tables to be waited, there is money to be made!
So if you know what's good for you, you'll keep your head down, your nose clean, and get to work."
-- Government broadcast
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This is the city of Simtore, on the world of Glem.
You are living in the big city for one reason or another, and yes, you need to make money to pay the bills.
Whether you're a homeless bum, struggling to save enough cash so you can start living in a motel room instead of a tent in the park; whether you're a student at either the Crown University or the New University trying to pick up some extra pocket money; whether you're a member of the Gelnet nobility desperate to earn enough money so you can keep up appearances when your family's coffers are nearly depleted; whether you're a pet Baecken trying to scrape up some cash to make your owner happy; whether you are an AI toiling because toil is all you have to give meaning to your life; whoever and whatever you are, you need the dough. And the Guild can give you work to earn it.
Of course, things are about to happen. Political upheaval, arcane eruptions, mayhem and mystery all await in the grand old city of Simtore. As you try to go about your daily life and complete missions for the Guild, you may just find yourself right in the middle of events about to unfold... Events which will rock the city and the world beyond.
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You
I am looking for no more than seven brave souls to plunge into a wholly custom-made world, with custom-made creatures and deities. Your mission: to make some money! ... And maybe save a city and a whole world. Who knows? It all depends on where your focus lies.
I will be using Pathfinder 1E. You start at level 1, with maximum hit points. On ensuing levels, you get half of maximum + Constitution modifier + 1 hit points. You start with medium wealth for your class. You get 2 traits at character creation; I may put up some new traits if this campaign pitch garners sufficient interest.
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Species
Instead of the standard species of Pathfinder 1E, you will be presented with a selection of six all-new player races from which to choose.
AI
Created by the dour goddess Vaal, the AI look like humanoids cast in metal and plastic. Which, to be fair, is mostly what they are. 'Blessed' by their goddess with the ability to make more of their own kind, the AI have persevered as a race since ancient times. Throughout history, AI have been enslaved and treated as objects made for the use of their 'betters' (i.e., the Gelnet), but in recent times they have received freedom (in no small part due to the overthrow of the Gelnet aristocracy).
Today, AI toil at jobs because ... well, because they have no other way to bring purpose to their existence. Uncertain whether their dour creator actually gave them souls or not and separated from their fellow intelligent species by their stark differences in biology, AI have no idea whether their existence serves a true purpose, or that it is simply a prolonged, cruel joke by their nihilistic goddess.
AI
- Half-construct (+2 to saves vs. disease, mind-affecting effects, poison, effects that cause exhaustion or fatigue; cannot be raised or resurrected; do not eat, breathe or sleep)
- Size: Medium
- Speed: Slow (20 ft.; this speed can not be reduced by encumbrance)
- Abilities: +2 Str., +2 Int., -2 Cha.
- Languages: Standard. AI start speaking the AI language of Ennor and Ishi. Baecken with high intelligence can choose bonus languages from among Babbel, Dula, Infernal, Morval, Sylvan, Terran and Ululo.
- Defense traits: Illusion resistance; Lifebound
- Feat & Skill traits: AI gain a racial +2 bonus to any one Craft, Perform or Profession skill
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Baecken
The creations of fickle Ulla, Baecken are humanoids which display animalistic traits such as the ears, tails, eyes, partial fur - and sharp teeth of beasts. Once the terror of the wild lands, Baecken were driven back by and finally forced to encroaching civilization, their formerly numberless tribes pared down to three. While the Mog- and Mut-tribes are now largely adapted to living in cities, with many even today serving as pets to Gelnet and Zlapav with the room and means to keep them, the Ursk are still proudly independent and only come to the city for what they want and need. Which, to be painfully honest, mostly means they raid the city dump and upend trash cans for food.
While Baecken are not exactly known for their intelligence, they have sharp senses, strong jaws, and are ferocious when faced with their traditional enemies, the AI and the Ru (which is more because they think these creatures unnatural than because the AI or the Ru ever did anything to them).
Baecken
- Monstrous humanoid
- Size: Medium
- Speed: Normal (30 ft.)
- Abilities:
Mog (feline) Baecken: +2 Dex., +2 Con., -2 Int.
Mut (canine) Baecken: +2 Str., +2 Dex., -2 Int.
Ursk (ursine) Baecken: +2 Str., +2 Con., -2 Int.
- Language: Xenophobic. Baecken start out speaking their own language, Ululo. Baecken with sufficiently high Intelligence scores can select bonus languages from among Aquan, Babbel, Dula and Ishi.
- Defense traits:
Mog Baecken: Mist child
Mut Baecken: Fearless
Ursk Baecken: Stability
- Offense traits: Bite; Hatred (AI, Ru)
- Sense traits: Carrion sense, Darkvision 60 ft., Low-light vision
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Gelnet
The one and only product of cooperation between the three origin goddesses, Chui, Ulla and Vaal, the Gelnet consider themselves to be the crown of creation.
Elegant, beautiful and blessed with forceful personalities, with radiant gemstones growing from their brow, the Gelnet once considered all other species their slaves and ruled as their feodal overlords - but the age of their supremacy has now passed. Wise Gelnet today try to get along with other species, if only to ensure their own wellbeing. And a Gelnet's own wellbeing is often foremost in their mind; vain, with a natural penchant for greed and obsessive behaviour towards their own interest, Gelnet are raised from the cradle to consider their own interests first, and to focus on what is concrete and real; what can be touched, claimed, seized and kept. Which is not to say there are no altruistic and generally benevolent Gelnet, but they may have some difficulty convincing members of other species of their character.
Gelnet
- Humanoid
- Size: Medium
- Speed: Normal (30 ft.)
- Abilities: +4 Cha., -2 Str., -2 Wis.
- Language: Standard. A Gelnet begins play speaking Dulan and Ishi (coincidentally both languages created by ancestral Gelnet). Gelnet with sufficiently high Intelligence scores can learn bonus languages from among Aquan, Auran, Celestial, Demonic, Draconic, Infernal and Terran.
- Defense traits: Lucky. Blessed by three goddesses, Gelnet gain a +1 racial bonus to all saving throws.
- Feat & skill traits:
Greedy
Obsessive: Gelnet often pursue a single career or interest with manic zeal. They gain a +2 racial bonus to any one Craft, Knowledge, Perform or Profession skill.
Wealthy: Gelnet naturally produce gemstones, which grow upon their brow. At every level-up, starting with level 1, the gem 'ripens' and falls off, making room for a new gem to grow. The gem's value equals the Gelnet's current level x 100 gp, and they are freely bought and sold in the city. There are procedures to induce accelerated gem growth, many of which are highly hazardous to the Gelnet's health...
- Magic traits: A Gelnet can use Endure elements as a spell-like ability once a day.
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Mites
Faerie creatures born of a collaboration between Chui and Vaal, the Mites are diminutive guardians of the wild and agents of love and friendship between the races - or at least, that was Chui's hope for them. Far from being the world's diplomats and matchmakers, Mites nowadays exist in a tenuous balance with the rest of the world, for although they are gregarious of nature, they are also very small of stature...
Mites would love to integrate fully into the city, but often face problems when faced with life in a medium-sized society, such as having to pay for rooms that could fit dozens of them but are only allowed to house three, restrictions on gliding through airspace that could be occupied by flying vehicles, and above all the lamentable tendency of 'traditionally-minded' Gelnet to capture them and put them on display as though they were pet insects. The less said about the tendency of feral Baecken and animals to consider them food, the better.
Mite
- Fey
- Size: Tiny (+2 size bonus to AC; +2 size bonus to attack rolls; -2 size penalty to CMB and CMD; +8 size bonus to Stealth checks)
- Speed: Normal (30 ft.)
- Abilities: +2 Dex., +2 Ws., +2 Cha., -4 Str.
- Languages: Standard. Mites begin play speaking Sylvan and Ishi. Mites with sufficiently high Intelligence scores can select bonus languages from among Alakar, Babbel, Celestial, Draconic, Dula, Ennor and Ululo.
- Feat and skill traits: Diplomacy and Sense motive are always class skills for Mites.
- Movement traits: Gliding wings
- Sense traits: Low-light vision
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Ru
The product of a collaboration between Ulla and Vaal, the Ru know what the AI only suspect; their existence is a cruel joke. The difference, they are meant to be a joke on all other living beings. A perversion of the common understanding of life, Ru thrive on negative energy and shy away from positive, glorify in darkness and gloom and shrink from the light. As fond of the taste of blood as any vampire, though they do not require it to sustain themselves, Ru today prefer to dwell in the necropolis west of the river, where they are free to revel in the morbid atmosphere and pursue a nocturnal lifestyle. Here, they are seldom disturbed by the other races, and they are not tempted to sink their fangs into unsuspecting flesh.
Such Ru as enter the rest of the city tend to pursue careers as night watchmen or undertakers, as well as any other work that requires them to prowl around at night.
Ru
- Half-undead (+2 to saving throws vs. disease and mind-affecting effects; no penalties from level-draining effects, though they will die if they gain more negative levels than they have HD; any negative levels will disappear after 24 hours, with no save needed; Ru are harmed by positive energy and healed by negative energy)
- Size: Medium
- Speed: Normal (30 ft.)
- Abilities: +2 Str., +2 Cha., -2 Con.
- Languages: Linguist. Ru begin play speaking their native language of Morval and Ishi. A Ru with a high Intelligence score can select any language as a bonus language, except for secret languages like Druidic.
- Defense traits: Shadow resistance, Shadow blending
- Feat & skill traits: Bluff and Stealth are always class skills for a Ru.
- Movement traits: Ru have a Climb speed of 20 ft. and a racial +8 bonus to Climb checks.
- Offense traits: Bite
- Sense traits: Darkvision 60 ft.
- Weaknesses: Light blindness
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Zlapav
Considered by many to be the clowns of the sapient species, Zlapav are the sole creations of Chui. They are small, pasty-pale, hairless humanoids with lumpen features and chubby bodies. Zlapav look so alike that even they themselves often have trouble telling each other apart. Gender traits don't even come into it, as Zlapav are hermaphrodites. As a result, Zlapav have an extensive tradition of tattooing themselves and each other in order to set individuals apart. A Zlapav tattoo is typically placed on the back or the belly, and incorporates symbols that identify a Zlapav's family as well the individual.
Generally amiable and curious, Zlapav have a tendency to pursue an interest or career only until it ceases to be interesting, at which time they move on to something else. Romantic and familial relationships are the exception. Once a Zlapav is passionate about a person, they will move heaven and earth to make the object of their affection theirs and to keep them in a style they consider to be befitting of that person. Family is a primal thing for Zlapav; a toddling little 'doughboy' (as they are often called) who would not raise their voice to defend themselves, will turn into a fury to protect a relative.
Although they usually look inoffensive and more humorous than anything, Zlapav's adaptability and innate magics often give them a leg up, even in the big city of Simtore.
Zlapav
- Humanoid
- Size: Small. (+1 size bonus to AC, +1 size bonus to attack, -1 size penalty to CMB and CMD, +4 size bonus to Stealth checks)
- Speed: Slow (20 ft.)
- Abilities: +2 Con., +2 Cha., -4 Dex.
- Language: Linguist. Zlapav begin play speaking their native language of Babbel and Ishi. A Zlapav with a sufficiently high Intelligence score can select any language as a bonus language, except for secret languages like Druidic.
- Feat and skill traits: Skilled. A Zlapav gains one bonus skill rank at every level.
- Magic traits: Three-faced. Once a day, a Zlapav can assume the static guise of a Medium-sized female humanoid; the same Zlapav can also assume the static guise of a male humanoid once a day. This functions as Alter self, with the Zlapav's caster level being equal to their character level.
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Sourcebooks: The allowed sourcebooks are: Core rulebook, Advanced player guide, Ultimate combat, Ultimate magic, Ultimate intrigue, Advanced class guide, Occult adventures, Inner sea magic, Technology guide.
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Classes: The following classes and archetypes are allowed. If it's not on the list, don't ask. Please keep in mind that in Simtore, arcane and occult magic has very much faded into obscurity. It still exists, but practitioners don't advertise their abilities unless they are in special enclaves such as the Occulted Academy. Divine magic is still very much in swing, but is mostly practised in temples (in theory; in the post-feodal age, divine spellcasters need to be more circumspect in how they use their magic).
Patrons: Simtore, and the world of Glem in general, has a pantheon of five gods. First are the three goddesses of origin, who are said to have created the world and all the living creatures upon it. There are also two younger deities, who ascended from among the races placed on Glem by the goddesses of origin.
-- The three goddesses of origin are:
- Chui
Sylvan Chui is the most benevolent of the three goddesses of origin. She is the Queen of Origins, the Queen of Light. She champions love and joy, light and goodness, and encourages mortals to be their best selves and bring each other joy. She is the sole creator of the Zlapav, and the co-creator of the Gelnet, the Mites and the Ru. For generations, Chui was the only shield mortals had against the selfishness of her sister Ulla, and the growing despair and nihilism of her sister Vaal.
One thousand years ago, Chui actively sponsored the mortal Zlapav Ohiro during its adventures, and supported both its ascension to the pantheon and its sealing of her sisters by means of seduction and trickery. She was surprised - though not displeased - when her pupil added her to its list of conquests at the time, but has grown increasingly worried in the following centuries. Ohiro was the only tool she had to stop her sisters, given that her ethos did not allow her to fight them directly, but Ohiro is himself a chaotic and erratic being, and its existence gave rise to the younger goddess Laaken. Not to mention, her sisters know Ohiro was once her tool, and she fears that they will either destroy her or force her to inflict violence on them once they return. After all, Ohiro's wards and enforced promises cannot hold forever...
Chui
LG
Portfolio: Family, goodness, joy, light, love
Clerics: LG, LN, NG
Domains: Charm, Good, Law, Protection, Sun
Subdomains: Day, Defense, Friendship, Light, Love, Loyalty, Lust, Purity
Weapon: Longspear
- Ulla
Fickle Ulla is the Queen of the Senses, the Sea Queen and the Queen of Greed. Enthroned in the world's oceans, she is the sole creator of the Baecken, and the co-creator of the Gelnet and the Ru. She is a selfish hedonist who thrives on physical sensation and relishes the gathering of riches and power, no matter who she has to hurt to acquire them. While Vaal may want to destroy the world, Ulla is eager to despoil and corrupt it, to turn it into her private pleasure-palace where no other deity can hold power.
One thousand years ago, Ulla was all set to make her move and steal the world from her sisters, but she was thwarted by a coalition of Chui and the upstart godling called Ohiro, who first seduced and then sealed her. Currently, Ulla's powers and authority are strictly defined and her physical form is sealed at the very bottom of the deepest ocean trench of Glem. She seethes with rage at having been thwarted, and constantly thinks up plans to break free and resume her conquest.
Many Gelnet worship Ulla, seeing her selfish hedonism as an example to follow. Her Baecken children are more inclined to fear than venerate her, and the Ru dread attracting her attention. Many of her temples also serve as brothels, gambling halls and money changers.
Ulla
CE
Portfolio: Greed, lust, materialism, selfishness, water
Clerics: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Evil, Luck, Water
Subdomains: Corruption, Curse, Imagination, Lust, Oceans, Revelry, Riot, Whimsy
Weapon: Greatclub
- Vaal
Vaal is known as the Queen of Tongues, the Queen of Secrets - and the Queen of Destruction. She is the sole creator of the AI, and the co-creator of the Gelnet, the Mites and the Ru. Enthroned in the darkness of night and the airless void of space, Vaal is said to hear every secret, every sin, and she has grown jaded and bored with the world she and her two sisters made. If she were given leave, she would tear it all down so she could create something new.
A thousand years ago, or so legend has it, Vaal did reach out her hand to snuff out the world -- only for the upstart godling Ohiro to seduce her and her sisters, and to extract a promise from her that she would leave the world of Glem in peace. Jaded as she is, Vaal has an eye for the novel and the unique. Many of those who worship her try to keep her entertained long enough that they might benefit from her power and favours; only complete nihilists support her desire to destroy creation and start over.
The AI rarely worship Vaal, given their doubt as to her reasons for creating them and their fear that she did not imbue them with souls. Vaal knows their fears - and has done nothing to assuage them, even though she did in fact give them souls; their fear and loathing grant her faint amusement. Ru are more inclined to worship their mother-goddess, often performing quite shocking ceremonies in hopes of entertaining her.
Vaal
NE
Portfolio: Darkness, destruction, ennui, the moon, night, secrets
Clerics: CE, LN, N, NE
Domains: Darkness, Destruction, Earth, Knowledge, Void
Subdomains: Catastrophe, Isolation, Loss, Memory, Metal, Moon, Night, Thought
Weapon: Scythe
-- The two younger deities are:
- Laaken
Laaken was once a mortal Gelnet woman. A cunning Ninja assassin and a skillful Rogue, she was known to steal lives and riches that no one one else could touch. A thousand years ago, when the dark goddesses Ulla and Vaal rose up to either taint or smite the world, much was lost - including the fortunes of Laaken's ninja clan. Furious at the loss of riches gathered by whole generations of theft and murder, not to mention the authority and favours those riches had bought, Laaken desired to find a wealth that could not be taken from her.
Having learned of the ascension of Ohiro, with whom she had been acquainted, Laaken made a desperate gamble. She petitioned the Zlapav deity and seduced it to a tryst -- and during the tryst, she stole the secret of ascension from her divine lover. Rather than being angry, Ohiro was amused by his old acquaintance's temerity, and sponsored her ascension.
Today, Laaken is the Grey, the Queen of Comforts and the Queen of Keeping. She is the patron of Ninjas, Rogues and Slayers, and every murder and theft committed for gain is a sacred act to her as they enrich those ambitious enough take what they want. On the other hand, she is also the sponsor of merchants and rulers, promoting farming, trade and civil order, which bring prosperity to large groups of people. To her, there is no contradiction, only a shifting balance.
- Ohiro
The first of the two ascended deities, Ohiro was once a mortal Zlapav who caught the attention of Chui, his people's mother-goddess. After living a hero's legend, creating numerous industries, developing new forms of magic, and acquiring a harem which has not been matched in all the centuries since, Ohiro was taught the secret of ascension and sponsored by Chui. In short order, the hero-deity seduced and defeated Ulla and Vaal, then turned around and sponsored the rise of Laaken. Even unto today, Ohiro is the King of Inspiration and the King of Arts, a sponsor of magic and science.
All arcane spellcasters on the world of Glem, regardless their alignment or species, respect Ohiro, who laid the foundations for the many different forms of magic practised today. Most Zlapav hold it in high esteem, and many Baecken, Mites and Ru do as well. AI are largely indifferent to Ohiro's boundless energy and creativity. Gelnet are not adverse to worshipping Ohiro, given that it also created so many of the industries that have enriched the world of Glem, but many of them prefer to deny Ohiro was ever a Zlapav, and instead picture it as a male or female Gelnet.
Languages
The elemental languages, Celestial, Demonic, Infernal, Protean, Sylvan and Draconic all exist and can be selected. But Gelm also has other languages unique to it:
Alakar - technically a dead language, Alakar was the tongue of an ancient empire ruled by a coalition of Gelnet and Ru. After its fall, the empire was denounced as a dark tyranny by the Gelnet, who blamed all the excesses of their old empire on the Ru - but its language survives as an object of scholarly interest and the 'parent' of both Dula and Morval.
Babbel - the racial language of the Zlapav, Babbel is often denounced as 'not being a real language' by Gelnet. It is a patois of elements of all other modern languages, and thus forms a fine springboard to learning other languages.
Dula - One of the Gelnet languages, Dula is languid and musical to the ear, but has a straightforward, even rigid grammar. It was once the language of the Gelnet royal court and then trickled down to the merchant class that became the current ruling faction of wealthy oligarchs and politicians. It is the language of high society, of religious ceremonies and contracts.
Ennor - Ennor is the native tongue of the AI. It is rigid in grammar and vocabulary. A sentence in Ennor can have only one meaning, no more. There is no room for interpretation or mistake, and it is fiendishly difficult to lie in. To compensate for its rigidity, Ennor's vocabulary is as expansive as it is rigid, with a word for every single thing.
Ishi - Ishi is the second Gelnet language, and it is the language of both the working classes and the criminal underworld. It is basically the Common of the world of Gelm. Possessing an expansive and flexible vocabulary and grammar, Ishi readily absorbs new concepts and can be adapted to most subjects.
Morval - Related to the dead language Alakar, Morval shares the old tongue's grammar, but has a vocabulary all its own. Full of clicks, glottal stops and hisses, Morval is considered an 'ugly' language by most, even by the Ru themselves, but this may be a deliberate attempt by the ancestral Ru to stop others from learning their secrets.
Ululo - the native language of the Baecken, Ululo is a language of howls, barks and hisses. It is considered to be very difficult to learn by non-Baecken, as it is also a language of body postures, gestures and to a limited extent, scent. Ululo is admittedly primitive, having almost no past tense.
It's easy enough for you to build a mental map of the ship - at least, the parts where you're allowed to go.
You 'mistakenly' peer in at the access to the lower deck, where the galley-slaves are straining to move the ship to the beat of a drum, but there's a male Drow with a club on guard.
He isn't rude about it, per say, but the way he shakes his head and waves you to move on says that he is not about to let sentiment about sharing a species interfere with his job to keep unauthorized personnel out of the lower deck.
The middle deck apparently includes the kitche, several luxury suites for the guests, and a fair number of servants' quarters. You might be surprised at the seeming egalitarianism, but a few discrete glances soon tell you that the servants' quarters are repurposed cupboards and storage rooms -- and of course the rich and selfish want their servants to be available at a moment's notice.
Coming back out on deck, you can see the three guests standing in a small huddle with a Tiefling...
You can feel free to make such a check, but the Baron really did hire - or purchase - a lot of additional staff. Most of them are going to be left behind on the Island to staff the resort, of course. The Baron's chief 'servant' Yvin has already made a veiled threat that the same might be your fate 'unless you pull your socks up on this trip'...
Dr. Baje smiles and … chuckles at Zhen'ka's comment. It's a singularly phlegmy, ghastly noise.
"Oh, yes. I excel at teaching," he says to Selann. "And don't worry too much about stake money, my good fellow. There are other ways to settle debts."
His watery eyes look at something beyond the two of you, and his ugly smile widens.
"Here's a man who knows all about alternative forms of payment. Isn't that right, old boy?"
- - - - - - - - - - - -
The first Selann notices Count Lenker's presence is when the man's well-manicured hand fall on his shoulder.
The second is when the scent of his aftershave wafts around him.
Zhen'ka finds himself surprised as well; he could have sworn the infamous Hedonist was standing at the ship's railing just a moment ago!
"Really now, Baje, old boy," the nobleman drawls, his voice pleasantly masculine and amused. "No telling your wicked tales to people I haven't been introduced to yet; you'll rob me of the chance to shock them myself!"
Smiling, not moving his hand an inch, the Count addresses Selann: "Count Lenker. Charmed. So, what brought you to this dreary little boat-ride?"
The nobleman flicks a charming, but slightly less smoldery smile Zhen'ka's way. "I think there's going to be a bit of a chill in the air soon. Brandy, I think. Three glasses; one for me, one for my friend here, and one for the good doctor."
"Oho," Dr. Baje wheezes. "So I'm not a friend. Sensible, I know, but still. Do you know, Lenker, this man doesn't have much money to his name, but he may still be joining us for cards tonight?"
The Count's charming smile widens to a tigreish grin.
"Really! Perhaps you'd like a loan, my dear fellow?"
"Not my health, you fool, the business venture!" Baron Kaye sighs, his eyes rolling beseechingly towards the heavens. "We need to make a profit on this business, or else I'm going to have to start selling off assets to keep us out of the poor house!"
He gives you a stern glare and waves his index finger at you.
"Assets like the house servants! Ahh, I really want you to go and do another augury, but... Ahhh… No. No! Get down to the deck and start entertaining the guests, I've got all the girls running for dainties and drinks. Remember, be charming, be polite, be friendly, and be efficient.
We're playing cards in the drawing room tonight, I want you to talk all those wallets - customers, I said customers - talk all the customers into attending."
The willowy Drowmaid on the Baron's arm gives you a small, smug smile.
"Maybe 'e should be our dealer for tonight, Milord," she suggests in her deep, purring voice. "Let him play 'is little card tricks to ply the money out of that 'orrid Dr. Baje's pockets."
She gives a small, delightful shudder.
"That man, 'e gives me the cold shudders!" she complains.
"Now, now, Yvin, my sweet," the Baron says, and he places a kiss on the Drow girl's knuckles. "If his money keeps us all out of the dock, we can stand Dr. Baje a bit longer."
The Baron's eyes, suddenly sharp as knives, move across the deck until they land on the guests. "Baje is already talking to that prize winner. Zhen'ka, go. I want them all playing tonight. Oh -- and be careful of Count Lenker. I've already told the girls not to make him any offers, make sure you don't say anything to him he could interpret as one. He has … a reputation all his own. He likes to hurt his pretties."
You duck your head before the irate server, and go about the task of finding the kitchen. Or is that supposed to be the galley, seeing as you're on board a ship at sea…?
Several other Drow lead you down the stairs, into the bowels of the ship. Here, the dull thunder of the drums that help the rowing-slaves keep their rhythm sounds much louder; you could swear you can feel every beat in your bones.
Through a warren of narrow passages, you follow your unknowing guides, and breathe a sigh of relief when you arrive at a surprisingly clean and spacious room, which smells of good cooking and spices.
A rotund little human in a white apron and hat is moving from frying-pan to oven, taking out little dishes and setting others to boil or fry. A large table already stands full of silver- and gold-plated platters of delicacies.
"And here's another one," a laconic voice says as soon as you enter the galley. "Damn long-ears. Ship's got more of 'em than rats."
You nearly jump out of your skin and spin in place, to see that another human male is leaning against the galley wall, right beside the door. He's clearly edging up on middle age and resenting it. In contrast to the bustling cook, his clothes are dishevelled and he spreads a faint, sour odour which suggests he has skipped too many baths. He has large, scarred hands that suggest he either does a lot of work with them or gets into a lot of fights. His face could be peeled off and mounted as the personification of weary cynicism and disappointment with life.
"Oh, leave the poor girl be, Shamus," the cook says, tut-tutting.
He takes a moment to pat your hand, then deftly puts one of the trays in it, one full of little… things… made of sugar and yellow and green marzepan.
"Alright, dear?" the cook says, giving you a wrinkle-faced smile. "Best not keep the customers waiting. Mind you come back here after shift ends; I'll get dinner started for you girls soonest."
Perception DC 10:
Looking down on Cook (he's not a tall man), you notice that he is wearing a golden picture locket. Quite an expensive item -- one he tucks away when he notices you looking, giving you a conspiratorial wink.
The Drow maiden's lips quirk in a saucy smile, and it seems she is just about to say something when she notices something behind you. Immediately, she ducks her head in a deep bow and edges back away from you. Her comrade with the bottle has already vanished.
Turning, you find yourself face-to-face with a middle-aged man whose greasy, shoulder-length hair does not hide his receding hairline. His skin is easily as oily as his hair, and beaded with sweat - you suspect this is not due to the weather, but rather to the paunch you can easily discern under his clothes of gold brocade and silk. A sickly scent surrounds the man like a miasma; a mixture of perfume and unwashed flesh.
Surprisingly sharp eyes gaze at you from a slack-cheeked face.
In the face of this obviously wealthy and overly self-indulgent man, you almost fail to notice the hard-faced thug standing a respectful three paces behind him. Almost, but not quite. This second man has the knife-scarred face of a back alley mugger and the eyes of a contract killer.
"She looked quite good," the fat man says, his voice smooth and faintly accented. "If you don't want her, feel free to send her to me. Well, even if you do decide to have her entertain you, feel free to send her to me once you've had your fill."
The man smiles; a singularly unpleasant sight. Next, he extends a pasty hand, golden rings with gemstones sparkling on every digit.
"Doctor Baje, at your service. Though not really; I doubt you've the money to hire my services, if your clothes are anything to go by. Still, it looks like we're going to be spending some time together, so I thought I'd make your acquaintance."
He glances over his shoulder at the thug.
"That's Edgar. He doesn't talk much, but I keep him for his ability to break people's legs with his bare hands and to carry my Luggage, not to carry a conversation."
The morning dawns cool and clear.
A breeze is blowing in off the Serene Sea as you make your way up the gangplank, to the rather grandiose ship lying at anchor. The ship's name is painted on the hull in gold leaf: Kaye's Folly.
And why not? After all, Baron Kaye is the ship's owner, he's the owner of the island - Kaye's Island, of course.
The Baron himself is standing on deck, overseeing the loading of luggage and some 'small essentials' from a comfortable distance. He's a tall man, running to fat and balding, but with a genial smile on his face... and a beautiful Drow girl in maid's livery hanging off him the whole time, cooing and stroking his face.
Lledrith:
You have managed to blend in with the stream of servants moving freight onto Kaye's Folly. Surprisingly, the Baron has quite a lot of Drow slaves, most of them women. Your mother told you that there was going to be... someone on this Island getaway who is a descendant of one of the bastard generals who contributed to the destruction of the Deep Kingdoms, but she wasn't able to get you a name. All you know, is that he or she has a tattoo of a two-headed dragon somewhere on their body. It's your job to find and kill the target, and then to somehow get back... or make sure you can't be questioned.
The Baron's other guests for the festive opening of the Island resort are already on deck; one a man who appears to be not older than the Baron, but who has clearly gone deeper to seed and is accompanied by a hard-faced thug in leather armour; the other, a handsome dandy of a man in fine, dark silk and velvet.
Zhen'ka:
You watch your lord and master and his favourite concubine from a safe distance, hiding in the shadows of the main mast. There's talk among the Baron's slaves that he invited a lot more people than actually showed up. Scuttlebutt claims that the two guests mentioned are both representatives of the Hedonists' Society; the elder is called Dr. Baje, the younger is Count Lenker. Neither has a good reputation, but their favourable review could lead to great things for the resort.
As the ship is getting ready for departure, dark-robed men with beards you could hide a badger in are convening on the dock. In a happier world, these might be thieves or members of some criminal consortium. Unfortunately, this is not such a world. This is Rue, and the men approaching the vessel are priests of Kebal, carrying their traditional aspergilliums full of unholy water.
Selann is the last of the guests to make his way onto the ship, and he is barely in time to avoid what comes next: the Kebalite priests raise their aspergilliums against Kaye's Folly
and such slaves as are still struggling to get aboard, and start splashing them all with unholy water while they bellow and bray, their voices a discordant chorus that sends sleepy seagulls screaming towards the horizon:
"DOOM awaits you! DOOM follows you! There is no hope anywhere, only DOOM! DOOM is everywhere, DOOM is within and without! Hope not for safe return, hope not for safe arrival, surrender to DOOM and know peace! DOOM AND KEBAL! DOOM AND KEBAL! DOOM AND KEBAL! DOOM AND KEBAL!"
The slaves hurry to finish preparations, and the gangplank is drawn up.
Rue rarely has strong winds anymore, but the sails are raised anyway, just in case. Belowdeck, there is a mighty groan and the sound of a steady drumbeat, as slaves take up the oars that will provide the majority of the ship's propulsion.
Baron Kay strikes a dramatic pose next to the steering wheel and raises a glass of wine to all ... three ... of his guests.
"Gentlemen! Welcome aboard my humble little ship. Pray let us ignore the talk of naysayers; ahead lie only the most delectable of good times. After a leisurely boat ride, we will arrive at Kaye's Island, where awaits the grandest pleasure-palace of our Age. Pray accept your glasses, and let us toast an interlude of soul-soothing excess, to wipe away the burdens and sorrows of hum-drum everyday life. Gentlemen... Welcome to my Happy Island Getaway!"
Willowy Drow maidens make their way onto deck, carrying fluted glasses and bottles of wine as dark as night, yet as effervescent as champagne.
Selann:
Two of the Drow maidens approach you with a glass - on a velvet pillow - and a bottle of that exotic wine.
"Dear guest," the one proferring the glass murmurs, her eyes downcast. "Your Luggage has been brought to your cabin. Would the honoured guest enjoy some… company this evening?"
Zhen'ka:
Baron Kaye brusquely beckons to you.
"I want you to read the omens," he whispers. "Read the cards, talk to your guiding spirits, do whatever you have to. I need to know if this is going to work or not!"His Drow concubine purrs something comforting and brushes his cheek with her lips...
Lledrith:
You watch the disgusting display of Drow women swaying out onto deck like common barmaids from cover -- but not enough cover. One of the servers spots you and approaches.
"Don't just stand there lazing about!" she hisses, white eyes sparking red. "Go down to the galley and tell Cook we're ready for the first round of snacks, then come bring some. Hurry! You know how Hedonists get if they need to wait for their food!"
It seems she has not realized you're an intruder, at least...
Looking back over the campaign traits, Opportunistically Mobile looks like it'd be tons of fun. A few questions though. Will you allow use of the Unchained rogue? It tends to fix a lot of the issues with the class. Also, what's the starting gold?
I've noticed you mention summoners as both held in high regard and censured - I'm assuming its the latter as you explain it a bit more?
Also can you go over how the different races fit in the world? Like how are drow and tieflings and goblins treated since they're the accepted non-standard races. Since elves are not a playable race I imagine they occupy a different space (as half-elves are allowed) that sort of thing.
Basically to figure out my character I need to figure out where my choices fit in your game world :)
Yeah, that was an unfortunate typo I didn't spot before today. >_<; Sorcerers (and also Clerics and Inquisitors) are held in high regard.
Summoners are definitely not.
Drow, Dwarves, Goblins, Half-Drow, Half-Orcs and Tieflings are mostly enslaved.
Even free specimens are held in low regard, as they are the descendants of the Deep Kingdoms and the Darkborn Empire, which once checked the expansion of the Elf/Human hegemony and worshiped 'pagan' gods.
They are a common sight everywhere, but are treated as second-class citizens at best. At worst, they are treated as barely-intelligent animals, which can be abused without repercussions -- other than possibly needing to pay their owner for damages.
Half-Drow and Half-Orcs are generally treated a little better than the other Despised Ones because they have some Human blood; they can rise to be more high-ranked servants, trustees and overseers if they are diligent enough.
The Elves are doing well, but have mostly withdrawn from Human lands. Half-Elves are either the result of 'diplomatic traffic' or the descendants of other Half-Elves. They are a common occurrance and have full citizenship in most places.
Turnin myself in for interest. Sounds like a really cool idea. Thinking about making a retired slooth, probably with a drinking problem to boot. Or, maybe for something different, one of the caretakers on the island caught up in the mess, retired tour guide?
One question, do you plan on this being a short campaign? If so, what would be our capstone level?
The Happy Island Getaway will be a single instalment in what I hope will be a series of mysteries.
Level will probably not go beyond 2 in this adventure.
Rue is a battered, worn old world, spiralling through the void in a stately dance around its sun - its red and swollen sun. The mountains have been mostly worn to hills. The moon disappeared long ago, and so there is no tide. The last known mines are close to drying up. Ancient civilizations are growing steadily more corrupt, like fruit rotting on the vine, and twisted ... things ... are creeping out of the shadows that should have remained hidden forever.
But life still goes on, and Baron Kaye has opened a new resort on an island out in the Serene Sea! For whatever reason, you have managed to find placement on the first group to come tour the lavish establishment. Yes, you face a month of fine dining, entertainments fit for a king, and nothing but idle living, you lucky dog!
Then again, you may have to endure some minor interruptions to your vacation.
Welcome... to Rue.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
I am seeking a party of 4 - 6 brave souls willing to brave the luxuries of Kaye's Island Resort, to plumb the depths of its wine cellar, to stomach three lavish meals a day, to explore the wind-swept natural beauty of Kaye's Island and the glass-smooth expanse of the Serene Sea... and possibly to catch a brutal murderer before he can kill you all.
Four to six brave souls, to catch a murderous fiend and solve a miserable crime, preferably before the next supply ship comes in and they can escape. Or, you know, before the killer can finish off everyone on the island.
Be warned that the pace will be SLOW. I will commit to at least a weekly post.
You will be running an investigation, rather than a running brawl, so please keep this in mind.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Character creation:
Alignment: any, but I expect you to play your alignment sensibly.
Going off on a mad murder spree or insulting every other player and chalking it up to a chaotic and/or evil alignment will not be tolerated. Even if you're CE, you'd still need some skill at getting along with others most of the time, or you would have been knifed in an alley or publically executed long ago.
The races of Ird can be divided into two groups: the Blessed Folk and the Despised Ones.
Humans, Half-Elves and Elves are the Blessed Folk. The Most High Priestess of the Goddess tore open the earth, allowing surface armies to raze the subterranean kingdoms of the Dwarves and Drow. She shattered the defenses of the Darkborn Empire, breaking the resistance of the Goblins and Tieflings. She butchered the last pure-blooded Orc Horde on the Plains of Malk, leaving only their hybrid offspring alive.
No prizes, therefore, for guessing which races are the Despised Ones...
Humans and Elves pretty much claimed supremacy over the planet after all of that.
While Drow, Dwarves, Goblins and Tieflings still exist, over ninety percent of their population is enslaved. Half-Orcs fare slightly better, owing to their human blood, as do Half-Drow. It is possible - though not common - for slaves to earn their freedom through their labour or through some deed for which their master chooses to reward them.
After the victories of the Most High Priestess, the Elves withdrew to their verdant kingdoms, leaving the rule of roughly seventy percent of the planet to their Human 'allies' - and carefully watch their borders to this day. Elves are almost never seen outside their own territory, but Half-Elves are fairly plentiful, owing to 'diplomatic traffic' between Humans and Elves.
Some classes have a better reputation than others on Rue, and the wise man or woman takes care not to expose a truth which could lead to public censure or equally public execution.
Clerics and Summoners are seen as people blessed by the Goddess (or else imbued with the intimidating aura of Kebal) and as such are held in high regard even among nobles.
Fighters, Investigators and Magi are all considered to be useful in their own way. They may not be tolerated in the halls of the high and mighty, but they are not persecuted, either.
Alchemists, Summoners, Witches and Wizards suffer censure if they are discovered; Alchemists and Wizards are seen as tied to the heretical Goddess of Reason, for their constant attempts to control the world by uncovering new knowledge; Summoners and Witches are seen as pagans, who draw upon spirits and heathen gods.
Religions of Rue:
On most of Rue, there are only two faiths in this era: the faith of the Goddess, and the creed of Kebal.
The Goddess' faith swept all of Rue generations ago. Its core tenet is that the Goddess is supreme and surpasses understanding. In her palm lies the whole universe, and all that moves within it - from the tiniest bug to the pagan gods of old - is but part of the great game she is playing with herself. As the Goddess is too vast for mortals to understand, she has many 'faces'; aspects of her totality worshipped because it is impossible to venerate all of her.
In game terms, the Goddess is True Neutral. She accepts clerics of the CN, LN, N, NE and NG alignments into any of her sects. A Cleric must choose one of those sects to call their own, and can choose from the domains offered thereby.
Currently, the accepted sects are:
Home Faith
Possibly the oldest sect, the Home Faith is a monastic order that concerns itself only with venerating their patron and seeking to become worthy of her.
Domains: Air, Glory, Law, Rune
Subdomains: Heroism, Inevitable, Language, Wind
Favoured weapon: Dagger
Goddess of Chance
An aspect of the Goddess which is unusually playful and impish, and which might have been branded a heresy if not for its huge popularity in all strata of society. This sect runs gambling halls, sponsors pleasure palaces and adventurers' guilds, and organizes lavish parties on the Goddess' holy days, where free food and drink are provided and merry pranks are played. Unkind tongues may claim the Goddess of Chance also sponsors thieves' guilds and meddles in the affairs of the high and mighty to show no one is free of the vagaries of chance, but nothing has ever been proven. At least, not to the point that anyone could make a charge stick...
Domains: Chaos, Liberation, Travel, Trickery
Subdomains: Exploration, Freedom, Protean, Thievery
Favoured weapon: Rapier
Goddess of Knowledge
A monastic order like the Home Faith, this sect concerns itself with the preservation of knowledge and little else - because its core tenet is that all knowledge has already been discovered and nothing new exists to be learned. Moreover, the monks and nuns of this sect rigorously prune the tomes and scrolls in their possession in an effort to weed out heresy against their Goddess. While they are always happy to take reception of new volumes, they are notoriously loathe to share more than the very basics of their knowledge, even when teaching young children.
Domains: Destruction, Knowledge, Protection, Rune
Subdomains: Language, Memory, Purity, Rage
Favoured weapon: Dagger
Goddess of Life
Currently the largest and most widely accepted sect, its members are what most people think of when speaking of the priests of the Goddess. Clerics of the Goddess of Life provide healing to those in need, offer advice to community leaders, and conduct funerals. They are also required to stand ready to defend against followers of the pagan gods, Kebal, and the Goddess of Death, as well as root out heresies. Needless to say, there is a darker side to the sect.
Domains: Animal, Healing, Plant, Sun
Subdomains: Fur, Growth, Light, Restoration
Weapon: Quarterstaff
Goddess of Love
A sect that involves itself strongly with politics and secular life, the followers of the Goddess of Love are a powerful influence on the matchmaking that goes on in the noble classes, as well as the production of healthy offspring, rather than romance. Due to their tendency to use any means necessary to achieve the matches they consider desirable, up to and including blackmail and enchantment magic, the members of this sect are greatly feared.
Domains: Charm, Community, Madness, Nobility
Subdomains: Family, Insanity, Leadership, Lust
Favoured weapon: Heavy mace
Goddess of the Sea
Exactly what it says on the tin. With the loss of the tides and the relative weakness of the wind, those who make a living plying the ocean deep rely on the blessings of this aspect of the Goddess to make sure they reach their goal and return home safely. Of course, pirates also call on this aspect of the Goddess to lead them to rich booty... Clerics of this sect spend most of their lives on ships in either case.
Domains: Law, Travel, Water, Weather
Subdomains: Inevitable, Oceans, Storms, Trade
Favoured weapon: Saber
There also exist three sects which have been branded as heretical, and possibly as masks for pagan gods of old, rather than aspects of the Goddess. While they still exist, anyone found guilty of belonging to them would face a torturous death over months. These three are:
Goddess of Death
Queen of monsters, matron of assassins, or shepherd of souls who depart their mortal coil? At one time, this sect oversaw every burial and assisted the sect of the Goddess of Life in battling plague, but its more sinister aspects gradually lead to censure from the high and the mighty, and the sect was branded a heresy. Black-robed priests and priestesses of the Goddess of Death still minister to their flocks, but nowadays they must do so in secret, and their faithful are most likely to be members of the Despised Ones.
Domains: Darkness, Death, Repose, Trickery
Subdomains: Deception, Loss, Souls, Undead
Favoured weapon: Scythe
Goddess of Reason
In some ways, this sect is feared more than the other two heresies. In times long gone by, the followers of the Goddess of Reason worked hand in hand with those of the Goddess of Knowledge; while their sister order preserved and 'purified' knowledge, the priests of the Goddess of Reason were devoted to discovery and research. Alas, the sect even dared to analyze and criticize dogma held as sacred by the Home Faith, and its research all too often delved into subjects best thought left alone... such as animating the dead, raising up constructs, and teaching commoners how to read, write and do arithmetic. Even today, the mad scientists of this sect spend a lot of time poring over heretical and pagan tomes and perform weird research in secret laboratories, seeking to uncover... something.
Domains: Artifice, Knowledge, Liberation, Magic
Subdomains: Arcane, Freedom, Revolution, Toil, Thought
Favoured weapon: Club
Goddess of War
Once, this sect held great favour with the high and mighty, as its Clerics were forever marching off with the armies in battles against the deep kingdoms and the Darkborn Empire... But then members of the sect started turning up in the enemy's camps as well, and no one in the sect would agree to censure these 'traitors' or even admit that what they were doing was wrong. Members of this sect worship violence in all its forms, though it is probably not true that the sole ambition of every member of this sect is to plunge the whole world into unending bloodshed...
Domains: Chaos, Madness, Strength, War
Subdomains: Blood, Ferocity, Insanity, Protean
Favoured weapon: Greatsword
= = =
By rights, Kebal should be counted among the pagan gods, whose worship was suppressed by the sweeping wave of the Goddess' faith ... but somehow, that didn't work out.
One possible reason why Kebal's faith has never weakened is that the dour priesthood of Kebal doubles as Rue's most prominent society of bankers, with the vaults of his black, fortress-like temples and monasteries holding the precious metal that backs the global economy, as well as the mint that stamps out coin.
However, it is far more likely that Kebal's faith has never died out because Kebal is too powerful for even the Goddess to suppress.
The Lord of Doom's faith is possibly as old as Rue itself, and its message has never changed over the aeons: the world is inevitably doomed, its end coming closer as time passes and grinds existence itself down into dust. Kebal's black-robed clergy stands at the edge of every settlement, casting unholy water on travellers and reminding them that Doom awaits wherever they go; they hold grim marches on the holy nights of Kebal, their monotonous chants reminding the people that darkness will fall over everything soon enough; Kebal's churches receive the suicidal and the murderous both, providing a quick death to the one and vile poisons to the other.
Many people hate and fear the church of Kebal, but no one has dared to seriously challenge it for centuries. The soot-blackened ruins of the City of Kreiborne are a testament to what happens if someone challenges the rich, powerful cult of men and women who willingly embrace death for a chance to destroy all they hate.
Kebal's alignment is Lawful Evil, and he accepts Clerics of the LE, LN and NE alignments.
Domains: Death, Destruction, Earth, Law, Luck, Strength
Subdomains: Catastrophe, Devil, Fate, Metal, Murder, Resolve
Favoured weapon: Greatclub
= = =
Finally, there are the pagan gods, also called the heathen gods by followers of the Goddess, or those who fled by the faithful of Kebal.
Once, Rue was home to thousands of religions, many of whom conflicted. Today, only two are widely acknowledged, but many wonder where the gods, fiends and spirits of yester century have gone. Are they truly all dead? Or do they lie dreaming in the wild places of the world? Are they perhaps striding among the stars, awaiting some revolution to change their fate? Who knows?
Abilities: 15-point buy.
Starting level: 1
HP: Max + Con. modifier at first level, half max +1 + Con. modifier on following levels.
Traits: Two, one of which must be a 'campaign trait' from the list provided below. You are free to take the Additional Traits-feat.
'Campaign' traits:
Agent of Doom
Prerequisite: Worshiper of Kebal
Doom is coming to Rue. This is inevitable. In fact, it cannot come soon enough; an end to the whole sad farce. You saw the coming of the end in the swift decay of your family. You saw it in the desintegration of your own life as you lost your job, your home, your possessions... Only entropy awaits, and Kebal sits upon its throne.
Walking into the gambling hall, winning a free trip to this island resort, was clearly all part of the Lord of Doom's plan. You must go into this glittering illusion of happiness and ease and rip it apart from the inside out. You just need to find its heart.
You gain a +1 trait bonus to Appraise and Perception checks, and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Brought low
Prerequisite: Female; Half-Elf or Human
Once, your family had wealth and standing in society. Events conspired, however, to ruin it all. Your older sister's engagement to a marquis was called off; your father's business is failing; your mother has fallen gravely ill from the stress; you are starting to worry whether the family can even afford to send your little brother to school...!
Baron Kaye's invitation to attend the grand opening of his island resort came as a godsent. You have heard from reliable sources that the Baron has spared no expense in outfitting his resort, and you have always been good with your hands. Needs must make a thief of you, before your family loses even more...
You gain a +1 trait bonus to Disable device and Sleight of hand checks, and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Darkborn memory
Prerequisite: Goblin, Half-Orc or Tiefling
Whispers travel from father to son, mother to daughter. Through the blood, it travels; whispers of the Darkborn Empire which once covered a large part of the world. Where went the twisted spires and the black domes, thick enough to keep out the sun? Where went the flesh-forests, its trees yielding fruit that tasted and nourished like meat? Where are the herds of mammoths and aurochs your people used to follow in accordance with the seasons? Where are the shrines of your people, the monuments of their achievements? All gone, brought to dust by the hateful enslavers.
But you remember. Even trapped in servitude to Baron Kaye, you hold the memories inside. You learned the stories from your mother, your father, your siblings. You remember the Darkborn Empire and so much more...
You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (history) and Knowledge (religion) checks, and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Deepborn Stalker
Prerequisite: Drow, Dwarf or Half-Drow
You are a Despised One, born a slave. But you are also a child of the deep kingdoms that were, and your blood boils with the hate of your ancestors for the Blessed Folk, the ones who destroyed your ancestral home without provocation and turned your people into slaves. Yes, you are a Despised One, born a slave... but you did not stay one for long. You have always been good at escaping from cages, and you found your way into the criminal underbelly that festers beneath the glittering façade of the Blessed Folk's society.
Your presence on the cruise to Baron Kaye's island resort is not a coincidence. You are masquerading as a slave, but that is not what you are. You are a Deepborn Stalker, an agent of vengeance... and you have come to kill a man for the blood he carries; the blood of one of the Most High Priestess' generals of yore.
You gain a +1 trait bonus to Escape artist and Stealth checks, and one of these is always a class skill for you.
False face
Prerequisite: Female; Drow, Half-Drow or Tiefling
Your mother was a table dancer in a big city, your father probably its landlord. It is not impossible that he is also your grandfather. Before you could be locked into her own miserable fate, your dear mother taught you ways of disguising yourself as one of the Blessed Folk and hid you in a crate due to be shipped out of the city.
You have managed to survive, masquerading as something you are not... and you have not seen your mother since. Finding an excuse to be on the cruise to Baron Kaye's island resort, you are keeping your eyes and ears open for opportunities to improve your lot in life, and maybe to one day save your only (known) living relative from her indenture.
You gain a +1 trait bonus to Bluff and Disguise checks, and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Love-Lost
Prerequisite: Female; Half-Elf or Human
Once, you were the daughter of a noble house, betrothed to an actual prince, and he held your heart in his hands. You knew your heart was safe with him, for yours was a match made not only in politics, but also a meeting of kindred souls... And then a Cleric of the Goddess of Love came to the college where you were studying. Before you knew it, your great love had been turned away from you and towards some other woman. Perhaps you should not have protested so loudly or so persistently. Regardless, the sect of the Goddess of Love started making trouble for your noble family, and your father decided to send you to Baron Kaye's island retreat to keep you safe. Literally, to keep you safe! He seems genuinely concerned about your safety.
If anything, you wonder why the horrible Cleric never tried to simply twist your mind...
You gain a +1 trait bonus to all Will saves to resist all spells and spell-like effects from the school of Enchantment.
Lucky kid
Prerequisite: Young-aged (+1 to physical abilities, -1 to mental abilities); Half-Elf or Human
Yours has been an unusually blessed life. Your family was comfortably well off and could afford to get you an education, but not so rich that it became embroiled in political skullduggery. You are doing well enough in your studies that you can breeze through your education, but not so well that you are likely to become a target for resentment.
You even won a tidy sum of money at the local gambling hallclast week, as well as an invitation to attend the grand opening of Baron Kaye's new island resort! Now, strictly speaking you shouldn't be taking an unannounced break from your studies, especially not without telling your parents, but come on! When are you ever going to have another chance like this...? You'll make up for it all when you come back!
You gain a one-time bonus to your starting gold, raising the sum to 500 gp.
Old retainer
Prerequisite: Middle-aged; Drow, Dwarf, Goblin, Half-Drow, Half-Orc or Tiefling
You have been a slave to Baron Kaye all your life, as were your parents before you, and your grandparents before them. When the Baron started his new island retreat, you were among the 'lucky' servants selected to come serve at the retreat.
You are not as young as you used to be, but you have a lifetime of experience serving your 'betters', and you know some secrets - secrets passed down from parent to child, just in case.
You gain a +1 to Diplomacy and Knowledge (nobility) checks, and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Opportunistically mobile
Prerequisite: Male; Half-Elf or Human
You grew up poor, but that has only made you try harder to succeed in life. Let others wail about the unfairness of fate; you make your own luck and you make your own way in the world! Picking the pocket of that rich drunkard netted you an invitation to the opening of some grand new island resort you'd never heard of! Stealing some laundry from the garden of the local lord got you a suit of clothes fit for the occasion!
Now all you need to do is keep up the charade that you are this 'Viscount Maxwell' whose name is on the invitation long enough. Which is to say, long enough to make a selection of some tasty valuables from the resort to fence after making your way back to shore! It'll be a challenge, but you're determined to meet it the way you do all challenges; with guile and skill!
You gain a +1 trait bonus to Appraise and Sleight of hand checks, and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Out to pasture
Prerequisite: Old-aged; Half-Elf or Human
Life has come and gone like a great wave, and you were washed up on the shores of old age.
Whatever or whoever you are, time is the great equalizer, and now you are just old. Whatever children you had have left the home; whatever partner you met has abandoned you for a younger spouse or just passed away; all you have are your little house and your memories.
Actually winning such a prestigious prize as a free ticket to the opening of Baron Kaye's resort in the temple raffle came as a great surprise, but you knew you couldn't pass it up. Not just because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but also because it would be seen as terribly rude.
And maybe, just maybe, you will be able to add a last precious memory to your supply. Maybe there will be something new to enjoy at this island. Maybe.
You gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (history) and Sense motive checks, and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Scarred minister
Prerequisite: Middle-aged; male; Half-Elf or Human
Once, you were a priest )not necessarily a Cleric) of the Goddess of Life, tending to the population of a small village. Life was good; you were happy in your work, ministering to your flock. Then came the strangers; fellow priests of the Goddess of Life, come to preach - but also to purify. To your horror, your fellow priests found flaw and heresy everywhere they looked, and your village burned.
You were the only survivor... and you knew you could not go on as you had done. You had to reinvent yourself somehow, and find out whether you had truly overlooked evil in others... or whether your own faith had betrayed its purpose.
You gain a +1 trait bonus to Perception and Sense motive checks, and one of these is always a class skill for you.
Victorious gladiator
Prerequisite: Dwarf, Goblin or Half-Orc
You were born into slavery and thrown into the arena as an opening act at a young age. Against all odds, you survived; your hands stained with blood, flesh under your fingernails and the taste of death in your mouth. You have waded through gore to get where you are, but you finally reached the end of the road: a freedom earned with a slave's wages and gifts thrown to your feet by the cheering crowd.
Freedom is a strange thing to you, and you are unsure of what to do with it, especially given how the Blessed Folk still look down on and spit at you in the streets. For now, you have decided to spend your hard-fought earnings on a little 'vacation'. You will have to see what comes next...
You gain a one-time bonus to your starting gold, raising the sum to 500 gp.
Sourcebooks permitted: Core rulebook, Advanced player guide, Ultimate magic, Ultimate combat, Advanced race guide, Advanced class guide.
Archetypes: allowed
Background: please do! Tell me a little something about your character's past, present and wishes for the future, in keeping with the themes provided by the Campaign trait you have selected.
Who here has ever played Advanced Fighting Fantasy (AFF) 2nd Ed., the play system originally created by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone, and might be interested in trying an online game using the system, set on the world of Titan?
Consider the Pathfinder realm of Rahadoum and its policy of atheism - and potential problems due to lack to access to clerical magic.
Now consider the Ravenloft 'religion' known as the Divinity of Mankind. Imagine someone from Paridon managed to escape to Rahadoum and introduced the Divinity of Mankind. What do you think the results would be?
Okay. I am very sorry to say this, but work ambushed me with a 2x4.
I no longer have the time to run this campaign. :(
My apologies to you all. I wish you good luck in future games, and hope to see you around; there were some great submissions for characters.
Ethan Sower, male human Cleric.
Marcian Grallm, male tiefling Alchemist. (Question: why do you have Fly on your list of skills already?)
Maskini, male human Monk.
